CappuccinoAddict

I believe LH uses Do&Co out of JFK!

NYC1

They used to but no longer do. It's still a great lounge (the F/HON section) and the food and drinks are good. There's a separate thread on this.

JohnRain

Thanks for the info, CappuccinoAddict. I guess you mean the lounge catering? My beef is with the onboard catering as it is often underwhelming.

The food at F/HON lounges (even in outstations) can indeed be very decent NYC1, if only the onboard catering followed suit.

JohnRain

The bar & magazine rack in the center of the cabin is the most distinctive feature of LH's 748 F product.




My favourite seats on the 748, even when traveling as a couple: 1A & 1K




What I really like about them is the fact that nobody ever walks by you as both the galley and the wash rooms are behind you.




Getting comfortable.




Dom, LH-style.







Somebody needs a refill.




We're next.




Airborne.




LH's chefs must come up with their amuse-bouche concepts using the same technique that fund managers used back in the 80's (and probably still today) for their stock picks: by throwing darts at stock pages, or in this case at an obscure cook book that should never have been published.




Thank God they don't make this stuff themselves.













L'heure bleue. Watching the day go by, sipping Champagne and thinking about how exciting the coming days would be. Man I love traveling.

















I went for the Japanese Menu which was pretty good.




Oops, I spoke too soon. Do I look like a vegan?




Better but not great.







A friendly reminder to which country we're headed.







After dinner I felt like watching a movie. The two only ones on offer I hadn't seen yet were La La Land and La French.
Guess which one I watched. (I can recommend it by the way, unlike the other one that Mrs JohnRain saw.) When I asked her how it was she only rolled her eyes.




Pass the duvet.







Nightclubbin' in the air.




LH's bedding is very good but for some reason I didn't sleep very well. Anyway, time to wake up.




The scrambled eggs I had for breakfast were very good.










The weather in Japan had been unsusually cold at the beginning of April, which meant that peak bloom was postponed by a week, perfect for us.
Further proof that spring was indeed late:







Hello Tokyo Bay.




Hello Skytree.




Haneda, you're so much more convenient than your cousin up north.




Another great LH F flight. If only LH could take over AF's F catering division...




Time to say goodbye to our 748 in a retro livery.







Not a big fan of the movie but the livery looks pretty cool.



Up Next: The Shangri-La Tokyo & blooming cherry trees everywhere.

CappuccinoAddict

I do love the LH F cabin. So elegant, even if the food is often underwhelming, as you say.

What did you think of the Henriot '98 CdE? I haven't had it myself!

Yahtzee

Beautiful use of light in those photos. I think you want AF to take over Lufthansa's catering and not vice versa.

NA-Flyer

As I have never seen this brand of champagne in the US, I wonder if this is a decent champagne brand matching the superiority of Krug and Dom Pérignon or not?

NYC1

It's very nice and hard(er) to find in retail than the usual suspects.

JohnRain

The LH F cabin is indeed very elegant and understated, CappuccinoAddict.
I didn't know what to expect as I had never tasted the Henriot before either but it was very enjoyable.
On one hand I like the fact that LH doesn't always serve the same Champagne as you get to taste new brands, on the other hand it's of course a bit risky as you can be disappointed at times.


Thanks Yahtzee!
Yes, if LH were to serve AF-quality food in F I'd be more than happy.
I can't understand why their onboard catering is hit or miss, whereas the lounge catering (at least in FRA & MUC) is consistently very good.


The brand is indeed less well-known than Krug or Dom (and the retail price on average 50$ cheaper than both), NA-Flyer, but it's an enjoyable Champagne nevertheless.


Exactly, NYC1.

jbeans

Beautiful pics of LH F! Too bad you didn't love the catering. Do you have a favorite F product that ticks all the boxes?

CappuccinoAddict

Interesting, when I do a search now for the '98 Henriot CdE its retail price is within a few dollars of Krug and DP.

I know that for a while earlier this year Japan Airlines was serving both the Salon and the Henriot Cuvee de Enchanteleurs 2000 simultaneously, and the consensus on the Japan Airlines board was that the 2000 was nicer and more ready to drink! Many prefer Salon to Krug and Dom, so I would be very happy if the Henriot turned up on my LH F flight next month! This month it looks like LH is pouring the Pommery Cuvee Louise 2003. Also in the same price range.

5DMarkIIguy

In the Bay Area, some Costcos carry this brand. In fact, I got a few magnum bottles from Costco when they had a sale a few months ago. Price is quite good.
I've seen them in independent liquor stores as well, but about 50% higher.

As for taste, it's ok.

ironmanjt

I find it much "better" than Krug or Dom - and certainly much less common which in my opinion makes it even MORE of a treat than Krug or Dom, which have become almost cliche...

JohnRain

Thank you very much for the compliment, jbeans.
I guess every F product has its strengths and weaknesses, but in the end LH remains my overall favorite (also because I am based in Europe.) If I were based in Asia, it would probably be SQ.


That's an interesting piece of information regarding Japan Airlines, CappuccinoAddict. Fingers crossed that you will get to experience the Henriot on your next flight...


Unfortunately I don't live in the US, 5DMarkIIguy, otherwise I would have bought a few of those magnums...


Good point, ironmanjt. I'm not a big Champagne expert but I must say that the Henriot grew on me. Kudos to LH for putting it on the beverage menu... ^

JohnRain

Check-in formalities at the Shangri-La Tokyo were conveniently taken care of in the well-designed Horizon Club Lounge...







...where the lovely staff members made sure we were getting into Sakura mood.




Japanese welcome amenities.




Our 68sqm Horizon Club Premier Room. The hotel had offered to upgrade us to an Executive Suite, but it was exactly the same size and had inferior views, so we decided to stay put.







The hotel is right behind Tokyo Station, which is of course practical if you need to travel by train, but it also comes with a bit of noise. Not the kind of noise that wakes you up at night but you can still hear it in the distance.







Bathtub with a view.




Sakura at Chidori-Gafushi, one of the most popular spots for watching blossoming cherry trees.







Unfortunately we weren't the only ones and our cherry tree sighting turned into a bit of a pilgrimage.










This could have been a romantic thing to do but the huge queue in front of the rental station made us reconsider.







Sakura is also a blossoming business.












Random shots on the way back to the hotel. Tokyo really is the cleanest megacity of any democratic country.







The Horizon Club Lounge is one of the highlights of the hotel. It is located on the 37th floor and offers four very tasty food presentations per day.







By the time we reached Kyubey for dinner we were so tired and jetlagged that I only took very few pics. The sushi is superb and the atmosphere congenial. The highlight of the evening though was that just like last year, we had the privilege of meeting the legendary owner, Yosuke Imada. At one point he suggested we make a picture together with him. I would have posted it but Mrs JohnRain vetoed it as she thought that she looked like she had barely slept in 24 hours (which was true). Mea culpa.
One of the conditions of traveling with me is that we never fly direct, because, well, there is the FCT. At the end of what was another fantastic dinner, Mr Imada himself accompanied us outside to hail a cab and give the driver instructions. He then bowed until we were out of sight. What a lesson in humility. Only in Japan.










The views from our room at night were pretty good. Not press-your-nose-against-the-window-good but good.







Tokyo Station going to sleep, just like us.



Up Next: I think I'm gonna order a coffee, or a cat, or both.